Shadericka lost 145 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Shadericka lost 145 pounds with meal prep, clean eating, and exercise. She wanted to be able to keep up with her very active son, who has Autism. Her 2 1/2 year journey taught her the power of consistency.

What was your motivation?
My son was the biggest motivation for me. He’s now six years old and has Autism. I wanted to be able to keep up with him because he is VERY active. Also, breaking the generational curse of obesity and sickness in my family is very important to me. Lots of people in my family have high blood pressure, issues with swelling and fluid, diabetes, etc. Many are on lots of medication as well. After I started having pain and could barely walk because of fluid, I said, “NO MORE!”

What inspired you to keep going when you wanted to give up?
I would always look at pictures of myself at 300 pounds and tell myself, “I can’t continue to live like this.” That made me keep going to reach my goal. 

I love being active and doing adventurous fun things. I couldn’t do LOTS of activities because I was always over the weight limit. Also, consistently seeing the same people in the gym inspired me to stay consistent. As the weight dropped, lots of people on social media began to take notice and inspire me with their kind words.

How did you change your eating habits?
I meal prepped. On Sundays, I prepared my food for the week, and I practiced clean eating Monday-Friday. I cut out fried foods and fast food while keeping my carb and sugar intake very low. I also tried to consume at least a half-gallon to a gallon of water a day. 

I made sure my plate was mostly veggies. I watched my portions and ate fruit if I got hungry late at night. Every weekend, I had my cheat days so that I wouldn’t deprive myself or end up craving, which I felt would lead to overeating for me. 

What did your workout routine look like? How often did you workout?
I work out for 1 hour, 4-5 days a week. When I first started losing weight, I mostly only did cardio workouts. My workouts included running stadium stairs at a college, HIIT workouts, and Zumba. Once I got more comfortable in the gym and hit about 240 pounds, I started incorporating more exercises and heavier weights. I would research/download workouts from Pinterest. I also followed different people who posted their workouts on Instagram, who were trainers or just regular people into fitness.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 330 pounds, and I currently weigh 185 pounds.

What is your height?
I’m 5’9″ and a half.

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take? I started my journey on June 29, 2016. It took me a total of 2 1/2 years because I was in a relationship that wasn’t good. As a result, I went back to bad eating habits. I was always stressed, so my body would retain weight. I wasn’t losing any weight for about nine months during that time.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
I lost all 145 pounds on my own with NO surgery of any kind.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
Old habits are hard to break. You have to reach a point in life where you’re fed up. You have to reach the point where you really want to change and make it happen. Otherwise, excuses will continuously be an outlet.

What advice do you have for people who want to lose weight?
Go hard or go home. Don’t half do it. You have to stay consistent and never give up. 

Don’t compare yourself to others and be patient with the process. Don’t weigh yourself on the scale too often. It’s about losing them inches, Hunni! Lol

Instagram: @prettygurl_d